Source: Derrick Salters/WENN.com / WENN
After turning himself into Chicago police, Jussie Smollett disclosed to the authorities that he has been battling a drug addiction.
According to TMZ, after the Empire star surrendered to police Thursday (Feb. 21), he confessed that he has an addiction to ecstasy and that he has never sought help for it. Based on text messages recovered by police, Smollett had been buying drugs from Abel Osundario, one of the brothers that participated in the staged Jan. 29th attack in Chicago, since 2018. This can play a role in his case and possibly get his sentence reduced.
The 36-year-old was charged with a felony count of disorderly conduct for filing a false report after Abel and his brother, Ola, revealed that Smollett paid them $3,500 to participate in a fake hate crime to a grand jury. They also admitted to rehearsing the attack with him and even picking out the spot where the attack would take place. After the attack the brothers went home to Nigeria that same day. Smollett allegedly knew that trip had already been planned, hence why he picked that day for the attack.
Smollett allegedly staged the attack because he was unhappy with his salary as Jamal on Empire. He reportedly rakes in $65,000 an episode, summing up to $1.2 million a year. It was found that Smollett knew the Osundario brothers quite well, but had a closer relationship with Abel, who had also served as his personal trainer. Smollett and his legal team have denied all of these claims.
During the “attack,” Smollett told police that he had been physically attacked while going home at 2:00 a.m by two men who beat him, poured what was believed to be bleach on him, put a noose around his neck and called him racial and gay slurs.
Smollett was released on $100,000 bond last Thursday. He will enter his plea during his next court appearance on March 14th. He is facing three years in prison.
